Introduction
The poem by Robert Frost “The Rod Not Taken” tells about a man who had a situation when in front of him two roads diverged. He tried to rally his thoughts and make up his mind what way to choose. First, he made an attempt to look narrowly into the distance realizing some possible features of every road and the outcome which could fall into the goal of his travel. The narrator decided to follow one of those roads and then got to a point that it was wrong and possibly another one could help him follow the right way. After ages this very man makes a conclusion that it was his fault and he really regrets about his choice.
The poem is written in the first person singular and the narration is direct applying to the quite distinctive details. From the first sight, it is quite clear in the way of description and manner in which the poem is written. One can say that it is a simple depiction of nature and a man coming across the wood. Actually, it is, but when realizing the poetical talent of Robert Frost and his desire to prescribe some additional information hidden inside the text of the poem, the analysis and evaluation of it becomes rather interesting.
Main Text
A person who narrates in the poem seems to be the author with a great number of his personal feelings due to the life experience. As it is seen, the images of the roads can be compared with the ways of life. Every human being decides at the very beginning of his conscientious life what way of thinking, living, acting, profession to choose. It is very significant to move in the right direction in the very beginning, so that not to go back and make a fresh start.
Life is short, as it seems. It is quite plain that youth is given to a man in order to take care of chair days. Every single minute is at stake when a man gathers his thoughts in terms of further actions. Right decision-making process is a core element which the character of the poem did not follow.
Also the narrator was adored with a road he had chosen because it was “grassy” and promised great perspectives about the endpoint of it. The author by this episode claims a reader not to indulge a vain hope when one is proposed to have good future and even more. “Every bean has its black” – as British people say. The narrator provides readers with a fact that he was one to follow that road.
It can be interpreted also as it is hard enough to make first steps in a new and unknown field of activity in length of the whole life. One of the most outstanding critics Lawrence Thompson once illustrated the idea of the poem by saying that “it is a slightly mocking satire on a perennially hesitant walking partner of Frost’s who always wondered what would have happened if he had chosen their path differently.” (Frost 1998) That is why the poem can also show a case of reciprocal loving which a person in the poem experienced in his life.
Conclusion
Thus, the theme of the poem “The Rod Not Taken” by Robert Frost is picturesque and easy to make out. The idea of it, as I see, falls into the way of life which a man chooses and the case when two persons feel different emotional attitudes of love and passion towards each other.
Works cited
DiYanni, Robert. Literature:Reading, Fiction, Poetry and Drama. 6th ed. 2007.
Brians, Paul. ‘Robert Frost: The Road Not Taken (1915)’. Washington State University. 1998.